


What's Missing?

by ahsagitarius



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Swan Secret Valentine 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 07:25:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9710996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahsagitarius/pseuds/ahsagitarius
Summary: A little game between two strangers leads to so much more. (Coffee Shop AU)My CSSV gift to @favoritefandoms





	

Every Saturday morning for the last year, Emma comes to the quaint coffee shop a few blocks away from her apartment building. Her days as a deputy keep her busy, but Saturday mornings are reserved for her chance to wind down and take a break. Enjoy her one hour of solitude away from work.

That is until the black-haired, blue-eyed nuisance started to show up.

Every time.

She still doesn’t know his name, hasn’t even spoken to him. The only form of acknowledgment is a nod and small smile when he walks through the door and sits at the table across from hers. (And the hint of mischief in his smile when it meets hers at the little game they’re playing).

All she knows is he came sweeping in one day, with his cocky nature and flirty attitude (he hasn’t flirted with her, but she’s seen the way he acts with the other women fawning over him), disturbing her peace. He deliberately chooses to come at the same time and day she’s there. She has thought about coming in at a different day to avoid him all together, but Emma Swan is not one step down, she was here first. This was her routine.

Plus, she found their little game too fun to stop.

She doesn’t even know how, but somehow he managed to learn what she orders.

And that’s when it begins.

* * *

 

The first time he walked in, she paid him no mind. Didn’t even look at him. The second time, their eyes met when he sat at the table across from hers, but then she looked back down at the book she was reading.

The third time, she couldn’t help it. Her eyes wandered up from her phone to sneak a glance at him. Then another. And another. She’d noticed how attractive he was the first moment he’d swaggered in, but this was the first time she allowed herself to _really_ look at him.

Damn.

That disheveled black hair and those tight black pants. She could tell he had a strong, lean body by the way his shirt stretched between his shoulders.

Suddenly, Emma is aware she isn’t just glancing  anymore when he looks up at her with those piercing blue eyes rimmed with eyeliner (that only makes him look hotter), a quirked eyebrow, and smug smirk on his face.

She looks down immediately and feels herself blush. Quickly, she grabs her things and makes a dash toward the exit.

The fourth time, Emma is making her way to her usual table when she’s confused to find a cup already waiting for her. She looks up to find Mr. Smug Face had arrived before her, looking at her with an expectant look and a smile that makes her feel wary. She sits down and takes the cup, uncovering the lid. It’s hot cocoa alright, the drink she orders every time, but it’s missing something.

The whipped cream and cinnamon.

How he knows her order is a mystery, but he knows about the whipped cream because he’d made a show of pointing out she had some on the side of her mouth last time before he’d caught her sneaking glances at him. (She doesn’t know he only caught it because he was doing the same).

Her face must have shown all sorts of offended for not having the perfect addition to her drink because she can hear snickering. Looking up, she finds that he’s trying (and failing) to hold back his laughter.

Emma narrows her eyes at him. Two can play at this game. Emma was never one to back down from a challenge.

And that’s how this back and forth started between them.

After his little stunt with her hot chocolate, the next time Emma makes sure to get there before him. She goes to the barista she always orders from and asks her if she remembers his order. She gives her a knowing smile, she doesn’t know why, and tells her he usually orders a coffee with cream and sugar.

Perfect.

Emma orders a black coffee and after checking to see he was nowhere in sight, she goes to place it in his spot. Smiling triumphantly, Emma sits back and waits for him to show up.

He walks in a few minutes later and she can’t help but admire his wind swept hair, the urge to brush it away from his eyes too strong.

As he takes a seat he spots her, then looks down at the cup in front of him. He raises an eyebrow in question, but she simply shrugs nonchalantly while smiling innocently. She can tell he doesn’t believe her act, picking up his drink anyway and tentatively takes a sip.

His face scrunches up in distaste immediately from the bitter taste and she can’t help the quiet giggles she isn’t even trying to hide.

And this continues on for the next few weeks. There’s always something missing from her drink, and she responds in kind. Once he really took her by surprise and managed to hide in the kitchen until she came. She was a bit disappointed to find her table empty, but waved the feeling away. He wasn’t important to her. She should be happy, now her Saturdays could go back to being peaceful.

She decided to order something other than her hot cocoa that day. She asked for a Frappuccino with caramel. The kind barista who always serves her hands her the drink and for some odd reason she looks like she’s trying to hold back a laugh. Unfazed, Emma takes a sip and notices that something is missing. Her caramel. She hears a chuckle and turns around to find him standing behind his chair. All she can do is gape at him. How could he have known her order? And it was different this time!

Both of them know what to expect when they come into the shop, but both continue to show up.

Every time. 

It’s another Saturday morning and Emma walks with a light in her step, knowing she’s going to see her… friend… enemy… frenemy? She doesn’t even know what he is and suddenly she stops as she realizes something. She no longer sees him as the annoyance he once was. She now looks forward to their “meetings.” She doesn’t know what to think about it. He’s handsome, she can’t deny it. It’s the first thing she noticed about him. But she doesn’t know him. Should she ask him out? Simply talk to him and get to know him? Change the whole dynamic of how things are between them?

Emma bites her lip, contemplating her next move. She runs when she’s scared, it’s what she’s always done. It’s what she’s had to learn to do after growing up with no one to love her and the one time she thought someone did, he sent her to prison for his crimes.

It’s what’s protected her. But it’s also what’s kept out love and pushed any potential friendships away. This is the first real “friend” she’s made and although she’s scared to break whatever it is they have going on here…

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, making a decision. For once in her life she’s going to be brave and not let her fear rule her. She’s not going to ask him out, she doesn’t want to seem too forward or eager. But she does want to talk to him, to have an actual conversation in hopes of becoming friends at the very least.

She continues walking, making her way toward the shop in anticipation. It’s packed with more people than usual. As Emma makes her way to her table she notices that although it’s empty, no one is sitting there because there are no chairs. She furrows her brows in confusion and looks around to find there are no other available spots, when a cough catches her attention. She meets the amused stare of her “friend.”

Of course, the only other available chair is at his table. This time instead of a missing ingredient, it’s a missing chair. She rolls her eyes, but takes a seat.

 _Well this is convenient,_  she thinks since she wanted to sit down with him anyway and he’s just given her the perfect opportunity.

He perks up once she’s seated since he probably thought she would decline his invitation. She smiles at him shyly and looks down, finding a hot cocoa waiting for her. When she looks at him, he just nods encouragingly and she tastes it, finding that it’s perfect and just the way she likes it. After giving him a questioning look, she takes another sip enjoying her drink.

He clears his throat, “I couldn’t give you a drink you don’t like on our tenth date. It’s quite the milestone.”

Emma chokes on her hot cocoa for a moment. Once she can breathe she asks, “Tenth date? Did I miss the first nine?”

“Aye, your hot cocoa with no whipped cream and cinnamon’s the first, my greatly distasteful black coffee’s the second, and well I’m sure you remember the rest, lass,” he jokes.

His accent. It makes her want to swoon. _Hold yourself together, Emma._

All humor disappears when he continues, “In all seriousness, love, I was hoping to ask you out. To dinner, or something,” he mumbles shyly.  

It’s so different to see the man that oozed confidence, suddenly become this shy person whose cheeks have reddened. He’s rubbing his finger behind his ear, a nervous tick she’s sure.

“Oh,” is all she says.

Honestly he caught her off guard. She came in here, finally brave enough to speak to him, hoping he’d at least be her friend. He must think she’s not interested by the way his face falls so she quickly continues.

“It’s just you surprised me. I finally found the confidence to talk to you today, but you beat me to it,” she says with a reassuring smile.

Her words and smile have the desired effect. His face quickly changes from disappointed to relieved and a bright smile that reaches his eyes spreads across his face and she can’t help it when her smile widens just the same.

“Killian Jones, at your service,” he says as he reaches his hand out.

“Emma. Emma Swan,” she replies, placing her hand in his. He surprises her when he brings it closer, placing a kiss on the back of her hand, only giving her a cheeky wink when she shakes her head, but her smile never wavers.

* * *

 

It turns out Killian’s brother, Liam, owns the coffee shop which is how he knew her orders. The friendly barista is his sister-in-law, Elsa, who knew of Killian’s interest in her and the little game he started in the hopes of getting her attention, which explains those looks she’d give her.

She learns he works at the docks, he is good with ships, and moved to Boston a few months ago to be closer to his brother and sister-in-law as they are the only family he has. His mother died in childbirth and his father abandoned them when he was a child.

They sat talking for hours, getting to know one another. When Emma finally had to go home, reluctantly they said goodbye to each other and Killian told her he’d text her so they can set up a time for their first _actual_ date.

She didn’t have to wait long since he texted her only ten minutes after she left and she laughed at how adorable he is.

Their first date is wonderful, both expected and unexpected. When they talked in the coffee shop, he seemed to be a gentleman and that’s how he acted on their date. When they played their game however, he was a different person. He was a mix of both on their date and she was happy to see that, see all of him. She also saw how easily she could fall for this man. And for once, the thought of falling in love didn’t scare her.

* * *

 

Many more dates follow and soon they find themselves celebrating their two year anniversary. Emma’s come a long way in the past two years. Not only did she find a man she loves and who loves her in return, she also found a family and friends.

Liam and Elsa were very welcoming, she and Elsa hitting it off straight away. When she didn’t have plans with Killian, she was with Elsa.

Since it’s their anniversary, Killian has a special surprise to mark the occasion. 

He proposes that night. With an empty box.

“Seriously?”

He gives her a mischievous grin, then pulls out the ring from his pocket and places it on her finger.

She sighs exasperatedly, but he just kisses her while pulling her close. She can’t help but wrap her arms around his neck, eventually smiling into the kiss. 

* * *

 

If you asked Emma what’s missing from her life, she’d say nothing at all.

She has everything and so much more. 


End file.
